부산대학교 도서관

Introduction and aims The integrity of the skin barrier plays a pivotal role in dermatological health, particularly in elderly and individuals with diabetes who are more susceptible to injury. Our skin barrier is also in direct contact with the microbiota, a diverse community of microorganisms that play wide-ranging roles in cutaneous function. Although microbial dysbiosis has been observed in elderly and diabetic skin, few studies have investigated the mechanistic links between skin barrier perturbations and the microbiome. The aim of this study was to compare barrier reformation in healthy and pathological (chronic wound) skin and determine the role of microbial dysbiosis in skin barrier perturbations. Methods Here, we developed a novel human ex vivo skin barrier model to simulate skin barrier disruption in healthy and pathological skin. Following tape stripping (n = 6 per donor type), skin barrier disruption was confirmed by measuring transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Skin barrier reformation was assessed following culture using haematoxylin and eosin staining, Nile red (lipid expression and distribution), and immunohistochemistry for skin barrier proteins (e.g. claudins, keratins). Secreted products from mixed bacterial communities were also applied to healthy tape-stripped skin to assess the influence of a healthy vs. pathological microbiome on skin barrier reformation. Results Pathological skin showed higher TEWL following barrier disruption, in addition to delayed barrier reformation and altered skin barrier protein expression. Moreover, secreted products from a pathological microbiome, with high proportions of Staphylococcus aureus , significantly delayed skin barrier reformation. Conclusions Collectively, our data provide a novel skin barrier reformation model to assess the effect of cutaneous pathology and microbial dysbiosis on skin barrier repair. Further understanding of the role of the microbiome in skin barrier function is integral to reducing infections and barrier perturbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]